In late 2023, Amanda Gary faced a series of health issues that significantly impacted her daily life. Persistent pain in her groin and legs, along with severe pressure and swelling, left Gary tired of being in pain constantly.
Her condition, exacerbated by a history of varicose veins and the physical toll of having three children, including a set of twins, required more than just over-the-counter pain relief.
It was at this point that Gary decided to seek the expertise of Dr. Robert Hacker, a double board-certified vascular surgeon in St. Louis who recently opened his own practice, St. Louis Vascular Surgical Specialists.
“I had heard nothing but wonderful things about Dr. Hacker and that he was opening up his own private practice,” says Gary, “so I decided to wait just a little bit longer and deal with the pain, so I could go see him.”
Gary first visited Hacker in September 2023. By November, she had scheduled her first surgery to address the most problematic areas. The surgery revealed more than what was initially expected, and what was thought to be a varicose vein in her groin turned out to be an aneurysm.
“Within days after the procedure, the pressure was gone, there was no more pain, and the swelling in my veins was gone,” says Gary.
The following Friday, Gary underwent her second surgery to treat the varicose veins in her right leg. Hacker used a combination of advanced techniques, including catheter-based procedures and sclerotherapy, to collapse the problematic veins. The surgery was performed in-office, and Gary was able to go home the same day.
Because the first procedure was spent addressing the aneurysm found on her left side, Gary then required a third surgery to collapse the saphenous vein and do sclerotherapy on the leg, which took place the very next Friday.
Once again, both surgeries went smoothly, and Gary felt a huge improvement in her condition. Throughout this intense period of three surgeries in three and a half weeks, Gary experienced firsthand the professionalism and dedication of Hacker and his team.
“Over a year ago, I had an initial surgery with a different vascular surgeon, and he just did the minimum,” Gary says. “Dr. Hacker, on the other hand, really analyzed and thoroughly ran multiple tests to make sure he was doing the right thing to help take care of my pressure, my swelling—really make me happy inside and out.”
Gary also received a number of aesthetic procedures on her legs to clear up spider veins, so she was left feeling more confident with the way they looked.
At age 42, Gary now feels rejuvenated and relieved, grateful for the expertise and support that Hacker and his team provided. Her journey highlights the importance of having a specialist like Hacker on your medical team. His thorough approach, state-of-the-art techniques, and commitment to patient satisfaction were crucial in addressing Gary’s complex vascular issues. Hacker’s transparency about the process and potential outcomes, combined with his meticulous attention to detail, ensured that Gary’s treatment was both effective and reassuring.
For anyone suffering from similar issues, Gary’s advice is clear: Don’t wait. Seek out a specialist like Hacker who will address your concerns thoroughly and help you regain your quality of life.
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St. Louis Vascular Surgical Specialists specializes in peripheral artery disease, vascular health, venous diseases, and wound care. Most treatments focus on arterial pathology, ulcerations, and wounds, meaning the practice’s focus is on restoring blood flow to limbs and limb preservation.
The practice performs angiograms, atherectomies, and stenting of legs; carotid surgery to reduce stroke; bypass surgery for disease; and repairs aneurysms to reduce death and limb loss.
Hacker is also the primary referral from wound care centers to fix some of the hardest-to-heal patients, as access to a high-quality, limb preservation specialist is rare.
“Having a vascular surgeon as part of your medical team is important. Although there are several other specialties that perform vascular interventions, vascular surgeons spend between five and seven years only focusing on blood vessels,” Hacker says. “This is opposed to an interventional cardiologist, who might spend six months on legs, or an interventional radiologist, who might spend about 5–10 percent of their time on legs. Vascular surgeons are 100 percent focused on the vascular system.
“While these other doctors may be competent at what they do, there are limits,” Hacker adds. “It’s no different than a lawnmower mechanic and a car mechanic: Both know how to fix the engine, but you don’t take your car to a lawnmower repair shop; you take them to the specialist. Why should the body be any different?”
St. Louis Vascular Surgical Specialists also offers a number of aesthetic services led by board-certified advanced nurse practitioner Rachel Closser. The practice is also home to some of the highest-quality ultrasound technicians in the city.
“Because we’re a private practice and aren’t grouped into the hospital reimbursement plans, we are able to charge between 10 and 20 times lower fees,” Hacker says regarding ultrasound services. “We have had patients spend $4,000 on the same test in a hospital that we charge $250.
“We feel that we can be a huge asset to the community to help control health care costs while improving quality,” Hacker adds. “It’s our goal to change the paradigm of vascular health in St. Louis and bring high-quality vascular care where it’s never been available before.”
This post was created by SLM Partner Studio on behalf of St. Louis Vascular Surgical Specialists. To learn more, visit stlvascular.com.